2008/09/16 by Carl Power, John E.J. Rasko · 38 citations
Medicine · #Ancient Greece #Ancient Greek #Art #Biology #Classics #Ethics and Legal Issues in Pediatric Healthcare #Greek mythology #Greeks #History #Literature #Liver physiology and pathology #Liver regeneration #Medicine #Mythology #Regeneration (biology) #Theme (computing)
paper · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-149-6-200809160-00009
published in Annals of Internal Medicine 149(6), 421-426 (American College of Physicians)
openalex publication_date 2008/09/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/19
Stem-cell biologists and those involved in regenerative medicine are fascinated by the story of Prometheus, the Greek god whose immortal liver was feasted on day after day by Zeus' eagle. This myth invariably provokes the question: Did the ancient Greeks know about the liver's amazing capacity for self-repair? The authors address this question by exploring the origins of Greek myth and medicine, adopting a 2-fold strategy. First, the authors consider what opportunities the ancient Greeks had to learn about the liver's structure and function. This involves a discussion of early battlefield surgery, the beginnings of anatomical research, and the ancient art of liver augury. In addition, the authors consider how the Greeks understood Prometheus' immortal liver. Not only do the authors examine the general theme of regeneration in Greek mythology, they survey several scholarly interpretations of Prometheus' torture.